IT HAS been a recurring nightmare for Filipe Morais – a moment he has studied over and over.

And the Portuguese is still at a loss to work out how he did not score during City’s second-half charge at Valley Parade on Sunday.

A goal then, when the Bantams were well on top, would have put them right back in the play-off tie going into tomorrow night’s trip to the Den.

Instead he side-footed wide from Jamie Proctor’s cutback and Millwall somehow survived to take a 3-1 advantage into the home leg.

“I’ve watched it about 50 times and I still don’t know how I missed it,” admitted Morais ahead of City’s final pre-game training session.

“But it is what it is. Good players forget about it and move on.

“I tried to do that as soon as I could in the game but obviously I was massively disappointed because it means everything to me.

“I’ve waited a long time to play, let alone get on and get those opportunities.”

But once the personal frustration subsides, Morais knows that second-half revival shows City can get at Millwall. That is the approach they must maintain in London to have any chance of settling the score.

“We were really disappointed in the first half. It just wasn’t us to put in a performance like that on the big stage.

“We go into the second tie with our backs against the wall and very much the underdogs – and we’ll relish that occasion.

“We’ve got a lot of characters who will love going there and facing the so-called hostility. We can’t wait.”

Morais, who made 16 appearances for Millwall early on in his career, believes the Den crowd can be turned against their own team if City apply enough pressure.

“Sometimes it can work against them,” he added. “If we are playing well and get a goal, we’ll see how noisy they are then.

“It’s a real incentive for us to go and perform in that. That’s what we buzz for as players.

“Anything can happen in these games. Who would have thought they’d score three at Valley Parade with us hardly ever conceding?

“We saw Hull looking really nervous against Derby. These play-off games have shown how the pressure can get to certain teams.

“We still can’t put our finger on why we didn’t play our normal game in the first half. Maybe it was the pressure getting to us.

“We need to play more like we did in the second half. But we’re more than capable of playing better than that as well.”

City will have to do it without James Hanson again. His absence was felt at Valley Parade – at both ends of the pitch.

Morais said: “James gives us so much going forward and defensively. Millwall scored from three set-pieces in the first game where we’re normally so good.

“He is really important with them defensively, not just for his goals. He is a loss but thankfully this year we have a fantastic squad.

“We’ve got Steve Davies back and Billy Clarke looks like he could be involved. We’ve got the strength in depth.”

City also have the glorious memories of overcoming a two-goal deficit at Chelsea last season. Morais, who scored the second, believes that was more of an impossible task than tomorrow.

“That gives players belief. We’ve been in big occasions and gone to tough grounds where we’ve been totally written off.

“Millwall as well will have that in their mind. When we’re up against it, everyone knows what we can produce.

“Write us off at your peril.”